Designer babies, nanotechnology, and genetically modified crops were a few of the topics covered at a Dec. 2-5 consultation in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Global Consultation for Genetics, New Biotechnologies, and the Ministry of the Church gathered 45 church representatives, scientists, young people, indigenous people, disabled people, and theologians to talk about biotechnology, defined as the industrial use of microorganisms or biological substances.
In this short video, Archbishop Fred Hiltz, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, talks about his October 2007 visit with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams.
It was an accidental picnic that first got the Anglicans and Lutherans of Carman, Man., together.
Lutheran pastor Jim Halmarson explained how 12 years ago the town double-booked the local park, so members of his congregation had to flip their burgers alongside the Anglicans. The afternoon of forced fellowship started a three-year process of closer relations, from joint worship services to eventually an amalgamated church, Grace St. John’s Anglican / Lutheran.
Canadian Anglicans continue to study how human sexuality intersects with their faith, and new online resources now are available to support this study. The Faith, Worship, and Ministry department has reorganized and expanded their website’s collection, including links, timelines, and downloadable studies.
The election of a new Primate for the Anglican Church of Canada will take place on Friday, June 22, at Holy Trinity Anglican Church on Smith Street in Winnipeg. The process begins with a Eucharist at 9:15 a.m. followed by balloting.
Anglicans from across Canada and around the world will be watching General Synod 2007 live by web stream. For more coverage and analysis, viewers can check out “Synod on Demand”, a daily analysis piece hosted by Tim Morgan of Winnipeg. Featuring interviews, synod highlights, and commentary by Tim and others, “Synod on Demand” is a must-see for General Synod followers.
More than 400 people including delegates, partners and staff will gather in Winnipeg next week for the Anglican Church of Canada’s 38th General Synod — a crucial assembly that will elect a new national leader or Primate and once again tackle the difficult and divisive issue of the blessing of same-gender relationships.
From start to finish — in fact from before the start until after the finish — www.anglican.ca will be the next best thing to actually being at the Anglican Church of Canada’s 38th General Synod in Winnipeg in June.
The Convening Circular for the 38th General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada, being held in Winnipeg from June 19-25, 2007 is now online. The Convening Circular contains a draft agenda, information documents, reports, resolutions, and memorials to General Synod. Paper versions of the Convening Circular have been mailed to all delegates.
The following resolutions relating to the St. Michael Report and the blessing of same-sex unions were approved by the Council of General Synod for forwarding to the General Synod in June 2007 for debate.
Healthy parishes are the heartbeat of our church. We have a variety of parishes across Canada – large, small, urban, rural, thriving, struggling. Many are using creative ideas and programs, suited to their context, to build strong, vibrant communities of faith. This is good news that needs to be shared!
Over the past few weeks I have been pondering on my time as a deployed chaplain to Camp Mirage (a support element of Task Force Kabul), while at the same time trying to catch-up with things Anglican — what a task! There are many images from my six months in the desert, some wonderful, some not so wonderful, but it was an experience I would not trade for the world.
The Primate, Archbishop Andrew Hutchison, has written to all bishops and metropolitans asking them to encourage their dioceses and provinces to study and respond to the St. Michael Report. The Report was produced at the request of the Primate following a decision by General Synod in 2004 to defer consideration of the blessing of same-sex unions until the Primate’s Theological Commission had studied the question. Their theological evaluation of the issue was presented to the Council of General Synod in May, a full year before the deadline, so that there will be greater opportunity for the Report to be studied by the church.
The intergenerational impact of residential schools and challenges faced by youth in aboriginal communities will be a major focus at the forthcoming Sacred Circle, a gathering of indigenous Anglicans.
